Visible buyer's guide: Simple unlimited data plans, now with 5G

Verizon is an excellent carrier if you want a leading network and almost any phone you can imagine. However, you’ll have to sacrifice your wallet to afford Big Red. Instead, you might be ready to give Visible, a low-cost Verizon service, a try. It’s not a true MVNO, but it’s not exactly Verizon, either. Don’t worry, it’s not as confusing as it sounds.

See also: The best Visible deals

For years, Visible only offered one plan — yes, just one — complete with unlimited talk, text, and data. Now, there’s a little more to dig into. The carrier’s unique status may sound complicated, but the most important thing to know is it’s a great way to save some money. Ready to try Verizon’s new alternative? Let’s dive in.

Visible at a glance

There’s not much to say when it comes to Visible’s history. The carrier has only been around for a few years, and it’s wholly owned by Verizon and runs on Verizon’s network. You can check out the map of Visible’s coverage right here.

Visible isn’t easy to track down at the Better Business Bureau, either. However, the page we did track down fares pretty well among other MVNOs in the United States. The carrier currently holds 1.36 stars and a B rating from the organization. It’s closed 771 customer complaints in the last three years, with 455 of them coming in the last 12 months.

The carrier made a serious push in 2021, with a bevy of new perks at your fingertips. You can now tap into Verizon’s 5G service, call your friends in Mexico, Canada, and more, and bring as many people into Party Pay as you want. Visible will also drop your bill to just $5 for one month when referring a friend or family member. You can use the Bring a Friend perk up to 12 times per year, and any friend you bring will pay just $5 for their first month as well.

For what it’s worth, several team members have used and recommend Visible. It has a few quirks, but it’s mostly a great deal. 

The Plan

Well, we can keep this section pretty short and sweet because there are only two plans to try out. It’s easiest to organize them into a table, though, so check out the fast facts right here:

Visible

Now that you’ve got the basics, what makes the Visible plan so good? You not only get unlimited talk and text, but you also get unlimited data that now features Verizon’s robust 5G network. The only downside is that Visible caps its speeds at 200mbps, at least according to the carrier agreement. In reality, many users don’t run into throttling unless they are in more congested areas. Still, it’s something to be aware of. 

The plan costs just $30 per month for a single line, but you can save $20 each time you bring a friend to the network. You can stream video to your heart’s content at 480p standard definition, and you can access customer service any time and any place too. Keep in mind this is truly unlimited data, with our very own Andrew Grush regularly pushing well past 20GB a month and with months that have gone over 50GB. Visible has also finally launched international calling to Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

If you’re not quite ready to commit, Visible is offering iPhone users a 15-day free trial. Unfortunately, the offer does not extend to Android devices.

Highlights:

• The lowest rate for unlimited everything
• International access in Canada and Mexico

Best for:

• Anyone who wants Verizon’s network but doesn’t want Verizon’s prices

Visible Plus

Now, we come to the new kid on the block. That’s right, Visible’s second plan. Visible Plus takes everything that’s great about the original plan and expands it just a little bit. It adds 5G Ultra Wideband access on top of the Nationwide option, and it guarantees premium network access. Of course, if you live outside of a major city this might not be that much of a draw. However, Visible Plus is the better bet for travelers and those with international friends as it allows calling to over 30 countries and texting to over 200.

As expected, Visible Plus is more expensive at $45 per month. The good news is that’s a fixed rate — you’ll pay $45 per line no matter how many lines you have. You’ll also still get mobile hotspot to your heart’s content and spam protection from those pesky robocalls.

Highlights:

• The best international access
• 5G Ultra Wideband for city dwellers

Best for:

• Those who want the most that Visible has to offer

Visible vs the competition

Since Visible isn’t really an MVNO, comparing it to other non-MVNO competitors makes sense. To that end, we’ve set it head-to-head with Metro by T-Mobile and Cricket Wireless. Each is wholly owned by another one of the Big Three, and they share similar structures. Google Fi makes the cut because even though it’s an MVNO, it relies on T-Mobile and UScellular for service and is a unique hybrid option.

You can find all of our prepaid favorites on the list of the Best prepaid and no-contract plans in the US as well. Check out the table for more details:

Metro by T-Mobile

Although Metro is technically a separate carrier, it’s wholly owned by T-Mobile and acts as an MVNO on the network. That means it can offer its own unique set of plans with varying talk, text, and data at great rates.

Highlights:

• 10GB 4G LTE data from $40 per month
• Hotspot data included on unlimited plans
• 100GB Google One storage with unlimited plans

Google Fi

A single carrier doesn’t own Google Fi, and that’s good news for you regarding service. The hybrid MVNO uses T-Mobile, Sprint, and UScellular towers to switch to the best signal available constantly. Fi supports an absolutely massive list of phones, covering options from many major US manufacturers and HUAWEI and even Red Hydrogen.

As for the plan, Google Fi’s Unlimited Plus is a tremendous international option. You can call over 50 countries and territories for free, and contact with other areas can start at just one penny. Each line gets unlimited data up to 22GB, a Google One membership, and full-speed hotspot tethering. If you plan to stay local to the United States, you can save $10 per month on the Simply Unlimited plan.

Highlights:

• Impressive phone support
• Plenty of international connection
• Google One membership included

Cricket Wireless

Cricket’s most expensive option, the Cricket More plan, packs the best Cricket has to offer, along with 15GB of a monthly hotspot. You can text 37 other countries, and you can even use your service in Canada or Mexico as long as it’s less than 50% of your overall usage.

Many of the best Cricket features are available as add-ons, so it’s easy to run your bill up by a few bucks. However, that’s the secret to unlocking Cricket’s full potential. Options include more hotspot data, better international access, and extra data on select plans.

Highlights:

• Customizable service with add-ons
• 15GB of hotspot included

Visible alternatives that run on the same network

Several other MVNOs rely on the same Big Red network, though they don’t have the same close relationship. Check out the table below for our favorite options:

US Mobile

US Mobile is a unique Verizon MVNO in that you can build your plan just how you like it. In fact, everyone in your entire family can customize a plan. You pick your talk, text, and data, and US Mobile gives you a price. There’s even a brand-new unlimited plan that costs just $40 per month for the first line. The unlimited plan offers your choice of subscription services for free with 2, 3, and 4 line plans.

Red Pocket

You may not be as familiar with Red Pocket, but it’s an effective way to save money, thanks to its variety of plans. There are plenty of limited service options to choose from, all the way up to unlimited access. Red Pocket runs on all of the Big Three networks, but you’ll lock into a carrier when you sign up.

PagePlus

PagePlus is similar to Red Pocket, with varying tiers of limited and unlimited service. The pricing structure is about the same, but PagePlus warns on its website about using more than 60GB of data per month. You can also opt for pay-as-you-go minutes, data add-on cards, and international add-on cards.

Total Wireless

Total Wireless has some single-line and family plans, and each includes unlimited talk and text. The data is also unlimited, though you have to pay more for unlimited high-speed access. Total’s basic unlimited plans offer just 1GB of high-speed data before you fall back down to 2G speeds.

What phones can you use?

Thanks to its Verizon affiliation, Visible has an impressive list of the latest and greatest phones on the market. You can’t choose from all of Big Red’s devices, but the latest Galaxy S22 family is a top option. Visible offers Apple’s iPhone 14 family and the third-generation SE, but the real value is budget-friendly devices. To make adding a phone even more manageable, Visible finally supports eSIM activations. Right now, the feature is limited to Apple’s iPhones, but Android support should be right around the corner.

If you’re looking to save some money, the Motorola Moto G Power and Moto One 5G Ace can each be had for less than $300. Free is a great price, too, and you can get $50 of spending money when you grab the ZTE Blade A7 Prime for $79. Of course, if you have a Sprint or Verizon device already, then you can bring your device along, no sweat. Visible is a CDMA carrier, which means that GSM options like AT&T and T-Mobile won’t work quite as well.

See also: The best phone deals

Band support is a key component of bringing a device, whether you have a GSM or CDMA phone. Visible relies on the same bands as Verizon, so Big Red will have to approve any device you plan to bring over. Check the table below for details:

Frequently asked questions